1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to data processing and in particular to software compilation. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a system, method and computer program product for performing error isolation and correction.
2. Description of the Related Art
A compiler compiles a software module from source code to executables, with some error isolation, making the executables available for execution on an instruction set simulator (ISS). After each compilation step, such as lexical analysis, preprocessing, or code generation, prior-art compilers determine whether an error has been encountered. If a prior-art compiler determines that no error was encountered in a step, then the compiler executes the next step of the compilation process. If, however, the compiler determines that an error was encountered in a previous step, then the compiler runs an error handler.
Unfortunately, even when facing minor errors, prior-art compilers are often unable to identify and isolate problems as simple as a missing bracket. A known solution to many code compilation issues is to use an editor with syntax highlighting, which can aid the user in spotting certain types of compilation problems. Unfortunately, this solution does not address the root cause of the problem, namely that the error was insufficiently isolated during the compilation step. After an error handler has run, prior-art compilers can report failures that are misleading or imprecise. No truly effective method for error isolation, optimization, and resolution exists.